


A Brand New Day

by CatKing_Catkin



Series: Cheer Up The Skeleton Week [6]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Big Brother W. D. Gaster, Brother Feels, Brotherly Love, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gaster Needs a Hug, Gen, Good W. D. Gaster, Happy Ending, I gave the followers my own names, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, Recovered Memories, Repressed Memories, Reunited and It Feels So Good, Scientist W. D. Gaster, Teamwork
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-16
Updated: 2016-12-16
Packaged: 2018-09-09 01:15:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8870050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatKing_Catkin/pseuds/CatKing_Catkin
Summary: Written for the "Cheer Up The Skeleton" week on tumblr, Day 6 - prompt "the machine is fixed".Sometimes, there really is a happier ending. All you need is a little bit more help. Sans figures out how to ask for it, his friends figure out how to provide, and together, the achieve the impossible. There's always room on the surface for a few more lost souls.





	

The hidden lab tucked away behind the biggest house in Snowdin hadn’t seen this much activity in years. Perhaps that hadn’t even been the case when the Underground had been populated. Snowdin was silent and empty, now, no footsteps or other signs of life to disturb the snow on the ground. But Sans and Papyrus’ house was once again lit up and lived in, even if only for a little while longer.

There was no way this could possibly work. Sans could scarcely even recall how this sequence of events had all been set into motion. Up until now, when they were poised on the brink of a final test, it had seemed like the most natural sequence of events in the world, the most logical course of action. Now, it seemed like a foolish dream and he could feel his soul quake with dread at what he was sure would be another inevitable disappointment. This time, the burden of it would be shared by his friends.

Alphys must have noticed the look on his face. “D-Don’t worry, Sans.” She offered him an anxious smile over the top of her clipboard. “This will work. I, I-I’m ninety-three percent sure it will work. And, um, I’m only ever eighty-one percent sure about whether it’s worth it to get out of bed in the morning!”

Sans laughed. He tried not to. He knew that doing so was only a nervous reaction. But it was still rude to laugh at someone who had offered him so much help. “Sorry,” he said, pressing a hand against his mouth to muffle the slightly hysterical giggle.

“It’s okay.” She ducked her head to return to her notes. At least she was still smiling. “Happens to me all the t-time.”

Toriel stood at the big countertop along one wall of the lab, pouring over two sets of blueprints. Though there was no longer any record of who had built the Core, all records of the Core’s creation couldn’t possibly have been excised from time and space. Thus, she’d been able to retrieve their original blueprints from the depths of the castle, blueprints that Sans previously hadn’t believed still existed. It was a discovery that had spurred on this entire endeavor, and he would be forever grateful to her for it. The information contained within them had been invaluable in his work repairing the machine that now stood free of its dusty tarp.

It all seemed so logical, now. Science was about collaboration and cooperation. He’d known that, once, before the accident had left him drowning in secrets that he’d been sure no one would ever believe long enough to act on. Science also required time, and while the resets had been going on, Sans had been left with entirely the wrong sort of time on his hands.

Then Frisk had come through and changed everything. Then Sans had left this lab behind for a vast, open life on the surface. And that might have been the end of it, but for the occasional pang of regret in his soul, if Alphys hadn’t asked him about one of the formula he’d used during a late-night whiteboarding-and-video-games session at the beachside marine biology lab where she worked. Sans, for his part, was a janitor at Frisk and Toriel’s school and happy to be there. Alphys still sometimes called on his help with a particularly difficult experiment, and Sans was happy to offer it in exchange for donuts and a few rounds of _Warrior Kart_.

Sans, mostly just enjoying the sheer novelty of knowing that she’d remember hearing the story, had told her where he’d learned it and also who he’d learned it from. That had spun out into him confessing about the accident at long, long last. And when the story was done, he’d thought that would be the end of it all over again, until she’d looked down at her notes and then looked him square in the eyesockets and asked to see the machine for herself.

 _“Maybe you just need a fresh pair of eyes,”_ she’d said.

He’d believed her. After all, chasing desperate hopes had helped him get up to the surface in the first place. Even then, Sans hadn’t entirely believed that this would work. He’d just held on to the idea that once someone _else_ confirmed that it was impossible, maybe then he could truly put the matter behind him and move on.

But of course, for Alphys to put her fresh pair of eyes to use, she would need to see the machine. It had been left down in the Underground, and a trip back down beneath the mountain was no simple matter, no secret trip they could take without being noticed or missed. Undyne had noticed Alphys making preparations. Alphys had told her the truth, of course. Then Undyne had passed along the entire story to Papyrus, who had asked Sans what was going on. Sans had told him, of course he had, if there was one person he was tired of keeping secrets from it was his brother. He hadn’t even meant to _keep_ this secret. He was just out of practice in thinking of it as a secret at all.

Of course, Papyrus had started making arrangements to accompany them, too. He’d mentioned it in passing to Frisk during one of their weekend playdates, Frisk had casually mentioned the plan to Toriel and asked if they could go, too. Toriel, ever practical, had swallowed her distaste and asked Asgore what he remembered about the machine in Sans’ lab and the one that had powered the entire Underground for so long, the one that probably powered it even now. And Asgore had remembered the plans, even if he hadn’t remembered the one who’d made them.

They’d all come down with him back into the Underground, all his friends who he’d stood beside that first morning on the surface and watched the sun rise with. Those who could had offered a fresh perspective on a problem that had plagued Sans for years. Those who couldn’t had offered moral support and encouragement through the long and exhausting days that followed, and Sans was just as grateful to them for that.

And now it had all come to this. The machine was fixed, and he was about to turn it on. Sans stood there with two of his friends, listened to his other friends bustling about outside, and pressed the button on his remote.

For a long, long minute, it felt as though nothing was happening. Sans tried to keep hope in his soul, but he could feel it faltering by the second as he stared at the machine and nothing happened. Toriel squeezed his shoulder and it was only when she did that Sans realized he was whispering – _“please, please, please.”_

He was still scant seconds away from giving the entire thing up when Alphys gasped aloud and grabbed his hand. “S-Sans! Look!”

Sans looked. He never would have seen what he did if she hadn’t told him to but _there!_ There, now that he did he could see points of strange color blooming in the portal field, and now that he saw them he could see them growing larger by the second. Sometimes merely the act of observation changed the subject of observation. Sans made sure to observe as he had never observed in his life, with that in mind.

“it’s working,” he breathed, as a swirling vortex began to properly form, as the humming of the machine became more audible. Sans let out a breathless, hysterical giggle that he entire failed to muffle with his hand, but he knew he had to try or else he’d keep laughing forever. “it’s _working_.”

“Oh my word,” whispered Toriel.

It was a proper portal, now. The noise of the machine at work meant that they had to raise their voices to be heard, but it was humming, it was _working_ , and a darker shadow was becoming visible in the haze of unearthly colors.

It was a shorter figure, ultimately not too much taller than Sans. He fought to swallow his disappointment. This was still a great achievement. After all, it hadn’t just been Gaster who’d been lost to the void as a result of the accident.

The figure grew more distinct – solid legs, a rounded head, a tail and no arms. Then it stepped forward, and Toriel hastened forward to meet it as it almost immediately collapsed in a most familiar manner. Florence, mother of that child they all still affectionately knew as Monster Kid, gratefully took her queen’s hand in her teeth and struggled to stay on her feet.

“What happened…?” she mumbled around a mouthful of fur, her eyes wide and lost. Toriel smiled gently down at the scientist, tears already gathering in her eyes.

“It is a long story,” she said. “But I am…I am very happy that you have returned to hear it.”

Then it was Alphys’ turn to hurry forward to help a taller, rangier figure that stumbled forth from the machine. It wasn’t a skeleton, its head was too large and drooped down over its skinny chest. “Don’t turn it on…” Terry whispered as he emerged, almost immediately slumping heavily against Alphys’ waiting arms. She let out a gasp and stumbled back under the sudden weight, but then planted her feet and held her ground. “Don’t turn it on, we miscalculated…”

Toriel, meanwhile, had just finished settling Florence safely into a sitting position when Charles stumbled forward back into reality on short legs, with equally short arms extended blindly before his round face. She caught him before he fell, and took no changes in scooping him up and depositing him safely on the floor besides Florence. “The machine,” Charles whispered, again and again. “The _machine_.”

“Is fixed,” Toriel finished gently for him. “And you are safe.”

Sans realized he still hadn’t believed it, even now, until he heard her say it.

Alphys was still struggling with Terry’s weight, and the fourth figure was becoming visible concem ore inside the portal field. Sans knew immediately who it was, and hastened to catch Cameron as she limped back into reality. One hand was pressed against her forehead and her narrow, feline eyes were screwed shut as the world embraced her once more.

“How can I speak of him without fear…?” she was whispering as she started to fall. “How, how…?”

“doesn’t matter,” Sans replied, as he managed to at least brace his feet and keep her from falling on her face. “you’re right here. that’s what matters.”

Working together, they managed to get all of Gaster’s old team seated safely on the floor, blinking dazedly in the light. They slowly grew quiet, and Sans was perversely reassured by that. He could see on their faces that the reason they were quiet was because they knew they didn’t have to keep talking to hold on to their realness anymore. They could stay safely silent and work on digesting the world again. Sans stared from face to face, and they were all the most beautiful faces he had ever seen. So it only slowly dawned on him that they were still one short.

“Sans,” Alphys whispered breathlessly. He felt her hand resting on his shoulder, felt her squeeze just once.

He didn’t turn around to look. He didn’t know what would happen if he did, and couldn’t bear the thought that he would see nothing.

“Sans, _look_ ,”

Then he knew, just from her tone of voice, that he _wouldn’t_ see nothing. Sans drew strength from her certainty, from the wonder in Toriel’s voice as she whispered a simple, heartfelt, “Oh.” He even smiled as she said it. He knew as well as anyone how strange it could feel, to have memories trickling back into your head after so long empty of them.

They would have time to catch up, now. Sans turned, and saw the tall, skeletally thin figure taking shape within the portal. He stepped forward, and the distance between him and the machine seemed like an eternity until suddenly he was _right there_ , and he was reaching out a hand to hold the hand that emerged back into the world. He stared up into two cracked and broken eyesockets that were nevertheless as familiar as his own face – moreso, in a way.

 _“Sans…?”_ W.D. Gaster whispered, bright-eyed and amazed, as he took his first proper steps outside.

“hey,” Sans replied, and he didn’t even bother to try and hide the tears gathering in his eyesockets. He just smiled up at the other skeleton, broad and bright. “welcome back, bro.”

 _“Welcome…?”_ Then Gaster took another step and slumped heavily to his knees. He would have fallen to his hands and knees, but Sans reached out to catch him and hold him tight.

“welcome home,” he repeated. “we missed you.”

He felt Gaster’s shaking hands hesitantly rise up, and then wrap around him with far more surety. He heard the door open, heard Toriel calling to the others. But Sans didn’t move, and he finally stopped fighting the tears entirely. He simply curled up in Gaster’s hesitant embrace and sobbed through the weight of years worth of secrets.

 _“I know,”_ his other brother whispered fretfully, over the sound of his sobs. _“I know, and I’m sorry, and…thank you, Sans. Thank you so very much.”_

It was a moment that was only theirs, one that Sans would carry for the rest of his days. But that didn’t make it worse when everyone else came and crowded at the laboratory door, peering inside, calling out questions. Indeed, it was even better.

“SANS…?”

It took the sound of Papyrus’ voice to make Sans lift his gaze at last. He looked up to see his brother standing over the two of them, wide-eyed and mouth open. He could almost _see_ the gears turning in Papyrus’ head, the memories returning at long last.

“hey, bro,” he answered with a broad, shaky smile. “you remember our bro, don’t ya?”

“YES…” Papyrus pressed both gloved hands over his mouth, and Sans could see tears starting to gather thickly in his eyesockets as well. “YES, I…OH, _SANS…!”_

Then he dropped to his knees and embraced them both fiercely, and they were both happy to let him. “GASTER! BROTHER, I…I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!”

Of course, Papyrus had believed Sans when Sans had told him that they had another brother he had simply forgotten about. Papyrus knew that Sans would never lie to him, and in recent years Sans had been doing his best to live up to that trust. But it was one thing to believe, and another thing entirely to see. It was something else above and beyond that to _remember_.

 _“I missed you, too, Papyrus,”_ Gaster whispered. _“I missed you both. I…I missed you all…”_

“It is wonderful to see you again, old friend,” Asgore said, stepping hesitantly forward with a warm smile of recognition on his face. Gaster looked up at the former king and let out a wild sort of giggle. Sans could see that he was rapidly growing overwhelmed at suddenly finding himself back in the world, finding himself the subject of so much _attention_ when before no one else had even remembered that he’d ever existed. At least his other co-workers had had that much.

But Sans squeezed one hand, reassuring as much as he could when his soul was a whirl of emotions itself. Papyrus squeezed the other. Gaster beamed at them both, before rising up to meet the king and reconnect with those monsters who had inadvertently followed him.

Sans was personally impressed that his brother managed to make it until shaking Frisk by their tiny hand before he dissolved entirely into tears.

Papyrus had believed Sans when Sans had told him the truth, and so Papyrus had packed a change of clothes for the other skeleton. He had guessed, even before remembering that Gaster existed, that his brother might be sick of the same lab clothes he’d worn when he’d fallen. He had guessed rightly. Gaster had looked at the garish paisley sweater his brother had brought along for him, laughing aloud, and hugged it to his ribcage like a favorite childhood toy.

Toriel and Asgore, meanwhile, had packed changes of clothes for the other scientists. They changed right there in the lab, beaming and laughing amongst themselves, and then as Asgore opened the door, Terry led the way out into the snowy Underground. Florence, Charles, and Cameron followed on unsteady legs like newborn puppies. Gaster started to follow after them, but as he rested a hand on the doorframe and stared outside, he hesitated.

“BROTHER…?” Papyrus asked hesitantly, drawing up alongside him on one side. Sans stood on the other side, and they both stared up at their brother’s newly familiar face.

 _“It’s just…”_ Gaster whispered. He looked from Papyrus to Sans, and smiled hesitantly. “ _Rather a lot to take in…”_

“i know,” Sans said gently, reaching up to squeeze his brother’s shoulder. “but once you do, it’s pretty cool. we’ll show you, gaster. we’ll help you catch up.”

 _“I know you will. I trust you both. And…”_ Gaster took a deep, rib-rattling breath, and then lifted his chin high with determination. _“I look forward to the journey.”_

“welcome home, gaster.”

“WE MISSED YOU, BROTHER.”

 _“I missed you both.”_ He wrapped an arm around each other their shoulders and clutched them to his side in a half-hug. _“We have a great deal to catch up on.”_

“wait until you see the sun. it’s somethin’ else.”

Sans felt him start, slightly, felt a presence drawing up behind them to tug on the back of Gaster’s sweater. All three skeletons looked around and then down, and Frisk grinned up at them.

“No time like the present,” they said. Then once again, they led the way back out into the big, wide world. The three brothers looked at each other, smiled in reassurance at one another, and followed the child.


End file.
